Desi Dilwale: When His Heart Found Her

Chapter 17

Anchal's POV:

After Vihaan and I finished our planning session, I offered to drop him home. "I'll take a cab, Anchal," he said, but I insisted. "Our parents' houses are quite close, Vihaan. I'll drop you and then head home."

"But weren't you supposed to go home and then come to your parents' house tomorrow?" Vihaan pointed out.

"Jay is already home, so I'll go home tonight. I have everything I need in my car. I always carry an overnight bag and I have everything I need at my parents' house," I replied with a confident smile.

He nodded, and we agreed. We got into my car and drove in a comfortable silence, letting the old Hindi songs playing on the radio fill the space between us. The familiar melodies brought back so many memories, and I could see Vihaan tapping his fingers to the rhythm on his knee.

When we pulled up in front of Vihaan's house, we exchanged goodbyes. "Good night, Vihaan," I said softly.

"Good night, Anchal. Drive safe," he replied, stepping out of the car.

I watched him walk to his door before driving away. As I made my way to my parents' house, I decided to call my friends. I started a group call with Kriti and Dhruv.

"Hey guys, guess what? Come over for breakfast tomorrow! My mom is making dosa, Dhruv's favorite," I said, my excitement evident in my voice.

Kriti responded first, "Yum! I'm in!"

"Me too," Dhruv chimed in. "Can't resist aunty's dosas."

"Great! See you both in the morning. Good night!" I said, feeling content.

"Good night!" they echoed, and we ended the call.

I pulled into my parents' driveway and quietly let myself in with my keys, trying not to disturb anyone. To my surprise, I found my chachu sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a movie.

"Chachu, you're still up?" I asked, smiling as I set my overnight bag down.

He looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "Anchal! Yes, I couldn't sleep. "

As I joined my chachu on the sofa, I laid my head on his lap, feeling an immediate sense of relief wash over me. His fingers gently ran through my hair, providing a comforting, fatherly touch. It was a silent exchange, but the warmth and love in his actions were unmistakable. I closed my eyes, allowing the stress of the day to melt away.

After a while, I was almost drifting off to sleep when chachu gently nudged me awake. "Anchal, wake up. Let's get you to your room," he said softly.

I blinked sleepily and nodded. He helped me up and walked me to my old room, the familiarity of it bringing a small smile to my face.

"Good night, beta. And please, don't work yourself to your bones," chachu advised, his voice filled with concern.

"I promise, chachu. Good night," I replied, giving him a quick hug before he left.

I went into the room and freshened up with a nice, warm shower. It felt rejuvenating. Once I was ready for bed, I opened my laptop, intending to finish a bit more work. The soft glow of the screen filled the room as I typed away, completely absorbed in my tasks.

Before I knew it, my eyes grew heavy, and I couldn't keep them open any longer. I didn't even realize when I fell asleep, my laptop still open beside me.

I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and struggling to breathe. The nightmare had felt so real. I got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on my face, trying to calm my racing heart. But the panic wouldn't subside.

I needed to see Jay. Walking over to his room, I knocked on the door. A sleepy-looking Jay opened it, immediately alert when he saw my distressed state. Without a word, he pulled me into a big bear hug. The warmth and familiarity of his embrace brought tears to my eyes, and I started sobbing uncontrollably.

Jay led me to his bed, never letting go. Once I calmed down a bit, he gently asked, "Anchal, what's wrong?"

I took a shaky breath. "I spoke to Vihaan about my stay in Monaco," I started, feeling Jay tense up beside me.

"What else did you tell him?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.

"I told him I was burnt out and had some breakdowns, which is why the family insisted I take some time off," I replied. The words felt heavy, and I continued, "I had a nightmare. It was about him. It was our wedding day, and I was getting ready when she came into my room and told me they were together and she was going to marry him. She tried to snatch my jewelry and my saree. I woke up panicking. I didn't know what else to do, so I came here."

Jay hugged me tighter. "They're not here anymore, Anchal. They can't hurt you anymore," he reassured me.

I nodded, feeling a bit of the weight lift off my shoulders. "You're right. They can't hurt me anymore."

Jay smiled softly. "We should watch a movie. Just like old times."

"Okay," I agreed, feeling a bit lighter.

"I'll get the snacks; you select the movie," he said, heading to the kitchen.

I went to his desk, grabbed his laptop, and played my comfort movie, "Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani." Jay came back with two bags of chips, two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and my favorite cheese popcorn. He noticed the movie choice and grumbled, "You played the same movie again. I should have picked the movie."

I laughed, "Don't lie, you secretly love this movie."

Jay rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. We settled in bed and started watching. The familiarity of the movie and Jay's presence soothed my frayed nerves. We finished the movie and started another, but exhaustion took over, and we fell asleep midway.

That's how Natasha Kapoor, Jay's mother and my chachi, found us the next morning, tangled in blankets and surrounded by snacks, just like old times.

Hey guys! I'm back with another update. Hope you are enjoying the story so far.

This is a double update guys. I'm going to start uploading frequently. In this chapter we get a glimpse into Anchal's past.

Remember to show some love with votes, shares, and your wonderful comments. Let me know how you like it. Thank you for reading this.

Love,

ARAK xoxo